story by Tim Bugansky, Erin Kosnac and Shawn Turner

8:34 a.m. It's a cold, gray Saturday morning, and the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center stands stoically against heavy winter clouds. In about 6 1/2 hours the M.A.C.C. will draw the largest crowd for a Kent State men's basketball game since 1971. But for now, the lights inside are dimmed, and the halls are silent except for the echoes of a few voices coming from inside the gymnasium.

8:40 a.m. Standing just inside the Lobby B entrance are two of the site's maintenance workers, Dave Boettler and Lonnie Scarlett. The two are discussing their game plan for the rest of the day. Boettler says they are responsible for fixing "basically anything" that goes awry during the game, as well as setting up the gym for basketball by pulling out the side bleachers and raising the auxiliary hoops to the ceiling.

Eric Thomas shoots over Akron's Jami Bosley. (Photo by Justin Casalandra)

Scarlett says the maintenance workers will also test the three scoreboards repeatedly to make sure all the lights work, and they need to check the 12 to 15 mechanical rooms that serve as a passageway for air to reach the M.A.C.C.'s air conditioning system. With more than 6,400 people crammed into the gym, the temperature will certainly be on the rise. After explaining that the two will also check the electrical system, Scarlett pauses and begins backing his way to the exit.

"I got stuff to do, so I gotta go before I get my butt chewed out."

8:45 a.m. Clad in a Kent State sweatshirt and navy blue shorts, Associate Athletic Director Ken Long hurries through the gym on his way to the Lobby B exit. He talks of how important it is for all the workers to plan on preparing for a full house.

"We want everything set up so there are no surprises," he says as he glances through one of the M.A.C.C.'s side exits at a semi trying to back down the road between the gym and Lake Hall. "We've already had our first surprise of the day."

The truck Long is looking at has the words "Mobile Starliner Video" written on its side in large, block blue letters. It needs 200 amps of power in order for it to get "warmed up" enough to support the uplink truck that sends satellite signals so the game can be broadcast via ESPN Plus. But on this side of the gym, there are only 100 amps of power. The truck must work its way to another outlet at the M.A.C.C. to get the power it needs. Long says the incident accounts for only a few "bumps in the road."

"As long as everyone stays flexible," he says, "we'll have half a chance."